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Other Instruction Fields for HotDocs Models

In addition to using IF and REPEAT fields in a HotDocs Model, you can use the following other instructions:

Field Property Name Title Contents
ask When HotDocs creates an interview for the user, it reads through the HotDocs Model and displays dialogs of questions based on the order it encounters markup fields in the document.

However, if you want your dialogs to appear in a different order—for instance, if you want a certain dialog to appear first, even though variables that prompt the dialog to be asked appear at the end of the document—you can use an ask field to force HotDocs to display the dialog.

 [ask:VariableName]

[if:ClientIsMarried:[ask:ClientSpouseName]]

[if:MONTHS FROM(Date of Previous Filing DA, TODAY) >= 13:[ASK Current Insurance TE]

]
default If a variable field is unanswered, a default field will set the value of a variable to a specific value. (If the variable field is already answered, the default instruction has no effect.) [default:VariableName=Value]

[default:EmployeeStatus=Temporary]
set Variable fields normally get their values from the answers users enter during an interview, but sometimes you may want to assign an answer to a variable instead of allowing the user to specify the answer.


For example, a document might include the address of the client and, in another place, the address of the client’s spouse. Once the client’s address has been entered by the user, you could use a set instruction to automatically fill in the same address for the spouse, since it will be the same.

 [set:VariableName=Value]

[set:SpouseAddress=ClientAddress]
increment/

decrement

 The increment and decrement instructions cause HotDocs to increase or decrease a number variable, usually a counter, by the value of 1. [increment:VariableName]

[decrement:VariableName]

[increment:TempNum]

[decrement:TempNum]
insert You can insert one template into another by using an insert field. For example, you might want to include boilerplate text in multiple documents, or you may want to include a set of related documents in one main HotDocs Model so users can choose the document they want.


During document assembly, when HotDocs finds an insert field, it stops assembling the main document so it can assemble the inserted document. When it finishes, it continues assembling the main document

An optional property of an insert field is keep, which can have the value of header, footer, or both.

 [insert:"FileName.docx"; keep=header]

[insert:"Provisions.docx"; keep=both]

Both the parent document and any documents referenced in the insert field must be saved to the same location.
assemble You can use an assemble field to add templates to the list of documents that should be assembled. Unlike the insert field, an assemble field adds the model to the list of assemblies (known as the assembly queue) and then waits until the main document is finished assembling before it starts assembling the new, added document. [assemble:"FileName.docx"]

[assemble:"trustdocument.docx"]

Both the parent document and any documents referenced in the assemble field must be saved to the same location.
languages You can mark up a HotDocs Model in languages other than English. To do this, you must create a language field in the document that allows HotDocs to format dates and numbers in the template so they appear correctly in the assembled document.

Optional properties of the language field include decimal, which identifies the character used as the decimal mark, and grouping, which identifies the character used as the thousands separator.

 [language:fra;decimal=',';grouping='.']
Valid language codes are:
  • dea (Austrian German)
  • des (Swiss German)
  • deu (German)
  • eng (English)
  • fra (French)
  • nld (Dutch)
  • esn (Spanish)
  • ita (Italian)
  • ptb (Brazilian Portuguese)
span Frequently, users need to edit document text once a document has been assembled. To allow this, you must mark sections of document text using span fields. Inserting span fields in a HotDocs Model allows users to edit the text of the assembled document while viewing the Document Preview tab of the assembly window. Changes made to the text can be saved in an answer file, which allows users to later reassemble the document and still have access to the changes they made.

An optional property of the span field is title.

 [span:spanName;title=SpanTitle:DocumentText ]

[span:trialPeriod: The length of [Employee Name]'s employment will be an initial term of six months, with the possibility of continuation beyond that period depending on Hobble Creek Publishing's needs and upon the employee's performance.]

Each of the above fields can also specify a comment as an additional property, for example:

[ask:VariableName;comment=put comment here]

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